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Donnie regrets trading that 2012 pick

Interesting article on ESPN about the Knicks. Donnie indeed confirms Denver is looking for 1st round picks and the Knicks don't have one and it might be the deal breaker in acquiring Melo.

Also, D'Antoni and Walsh raving about Randolph.

D'Antoni says Mozgov is our most athletic guy.

Walsh commenting on Curry not being in camp.

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GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- If Donnie Walsh hadn't traded a 2012 first-round draft pick to Houston last February when he was in salary-dump mode, he might possess enough assets to acquire Carmelo Anthony before the start of training camp.

But that pick is gone, and the president of the New York Knicks can't stop wondering whether he made a monumental mistake.

"I'll second-guess myself forever on that," Walsh said Wednesday in a sitdown with reporters who regularly cover the team.

Walsh sent the Knicks' 2012 first-round pick, plus the right to swap first-round picks in 2011, to the Rockets along with Jared Jeffries and Jordan Hill in the deal that brought Tracy McGrady to the Knicks.

Walsh made the trade to clear enough cap space to make a run at two max-salary free agents, but the Knicks struck out in their attempts to land LeBron James and Chris Bosh, settling instead for Amare Stoudemire and Raymond Felton.

With Anthony now on the market, and with the Knicks one of his preferred destinations as ESPN.com colleagues Mark Stein and Chad Ford are reporting, Walsh has all the assets the Nuggets are seeking (large expiring contract: Eddy Curry; young talent: Anthony Randolph, Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Toney Douglas) except for the future No. 1 pick(s) that Denver desires.

(New York cannot trade its 2011 or 2013 picks because of an NBA rule prohibiting teams from going consecutive years without a first-rounder, so the best Walsh can offer right now is a 2014 first-round pick.)

"I think we got something out of it that allowed us to bring in 10 new players. But I didn't like it when I did it. I don't like doing financial trades. They're not basketball trades," Walsh said.

"I was going back and forth on that deal, and I guess I thought the ability to have enough money to get two stars, or get one star and one or two other players, that worked. We got Amare and Felton, so that worked," Walsh said.

"But you always want to keep first-round picks. The '12 pick I didn't like doing. I remember the night before we did it thinking 'I don't like doing this, but we're going to do it.' And I'll second guess myself forever on that."

Walsh was upbeat on most other fronts, with the notable exception of Curry -- and the mystery of what kind of shape he'll be in when he shows up for his physical Thursday. (All the other members of the Knicks have already have been taking part in informal practice sessions.)

Walsh said he had not had any contact of any kind with Curry over the summer, but had been told through third-party sources that Curry was working out. He then made the following comparison, one that very well might infuriate a certain member of TNT's national broadcast team:

"Players don't have to come in. It's their choice. And what I've tried to do over the years is not make any kind of judgment on that. Don't get mad at them because they don't come, but when they come they've got to be in shape. So we'll see when Eddy comes. I'm going to be optimistic and think he'll be ready to play," Walsh said. "I know this, when I was in Indiana, Reggie Miller never came back in the summer. He came back the day before training camp, got his physical, but he was in shape ready to go. He had worked out all summer."

Walsh and D'Antoni were most effusive in their praise for Anthony Randolph, raving about his ability to rebound the ball and bring it up court with the skills of a point guard, as well as his ability (or so D'Antoni claimed) to defend any position on the court, 1 through 5.

D'Antoni also came up with a mouthful when he said incoming rookie free agent center Timofey Mozgov is "maybe our most athletic guy," and Walsh said he signed free agent Patrick Ewing Jr. in large part because of his ability to defend opposing shooting guards.

Walsh and D'Antoni said guard Kelenna Azubuike will miss the start of training camp as he continues to rehab a patella tendon knee injury, but he could be ready for the beginning of the regular season.

Both men set expectations somewhat low, saying making the playoffs will be the team's No. 1 goal this season.

But throughout the 30-minute meeting, the underlying current was whether the Knicks were confident whatsoever of their chances of landing Anthony.

"Part of my job is looking out there to see if there can be a deal in order to get a player like that (a top-10 player) who you know can fit with your team. And not give up too much. You don't want to basically bring the team back where it was by making a big trade that takes the majority of the players you have," Walsh said.

"There's trades you'd make and there's trades you wouldn't make. That's about as good as I can do. I've traded people that were very good and I've traded people who weren't so good. It just depends on how you see your team and what they need, and if that player is available and you don't have to destroy the whole team, then you consider it."

And if you have a first-round pick to throw into the deal, it makes it all the more easier. Hence, the regrets over including the 2012 pick in the McGrady deal, and the ensuing conundrum of figuring out how one can be obtained.

"So I need to go out and see if I can get one, and I don't know how to do that yet," Walsh said.

It's to late now, Walsh went out like a sucker on the 2010 trading deadline.
Which destroyed all hopes of having a successful 2010 Plan.

I wish Knick Fans wouldve been informed in his March 2008, open speech
of his 2010 plan consisted of giving-up our first round picks in 2009, swapping
2011 (with a 45 win team), and our 2012 pick, when we dont have a 2010
first round pick.
Maybe then the clarity of this "slot machine" 2010 Plan wouldve showed a
better light.
In the 2008 draft class the majority of Knick fans wanted a PG or SG out of
that draft, not another foward. So we are suppose to believe in our 2009
pick our president would select PG-Jennings who outclass all the other guards
in two predraft meetings, plus buy the Lakers pick PG/SG-Douglas. There was
to many decent guards in the 2009 draft class to not take advantage of if
we missed out on Stephen Curry.
Although, I give Walsh big PROPS on stealing an offense/defense Toney Douglas.
Donnie Walsh not FIRING headcoach Dantoni a month before the deadline so
the value of our players could be traded without giving up any draft picks.
Who knows? a couple of weeks of giving Curry playingtime alongside of David
Lee couldve got him traded. I doubt it! but showcasing Curry & Jefferies
with teammates that had chemistry with them for 20 something MPG was
suppose to be our plan for the 2010 Plan.
Giving up the 2012 pick with Curry for T-Mac contract seems even to me.

Of course he regrets it, especially after teams were begging to take salary from the Miami Heat and Pat Riley at the draft.

At the time, in the moment, Walsh did what I truly believe he felt like he had to do to move Jefferies. It was well reported and well known we had to move them, and Walsh took the shot when he had it. In retrospect, with what happened at the draft, it was a bad move. But hindsight is 20/20, I truly believe at the time he felt he had to make the move.

Ya, Walshfelt he needed to do it; but even before this huge black mark on the trade, it was a very dubious one.

Bush and others by all accounts sincerely believed we needed to go into Iraq, and felt from all his knowledge/instincts/intel they likely had WMDs and other ****, only to later question themselves and 2nd guess.

Not to compare the -actual- topics (war vs nba trade), but it's a big time fckup on both parties, and unfortunately for everyone, just having good intentions and doing what you think is right isn't always good enough, when other people have to live with the consequences.

All along: I don't despise or hate Walsh, I just don't think he is good enough. He followed the overall strategy fine, he just didn't execute well (mediocre, maybe).

I feel for him, though...imagine the awe and sense if vindication he'd feel if after whiffing on the cream of the FA market, and Lebron Saga...he then pulled in Melo w/o giving up Gallo or AR.

Couple 1sts, Curry, Chandler, Douglas, eg.

By all indications, it seems DEN really is placing a big premium on #1s.

It could be argued we "had" to bend over so deep...But that itself questions the overall plan, too, and how we allowed so easily other teams to know our plan, intentions, etc, and how they were able to play off a climate stacked so against us from the get-go.

Tough spot. I guess no matter it will conclusively show just how earth-shatteringly bad Isiah was.

If we were able to sign LaBron then everyone would have been hoisting Walsh up and carrying him through the streets of NY! He gambled and lost; now it stings but do NOT lose sight of what this man was able to do. Look at the roster he inherited; bad loooong term contracts and how he was able to turn that around and free up enough cap space to make all the signings that he made. Bosh made it difficult for Walsh.... Also, why the league dismissed anything against the Heat so quickly is beyond me! Riley circumventing the CBA by having Wade be his proxy!!! Walsh did an excellent job on putting the Knicks in the position to sign 2 max contracts if needed.... Freakin' unbelievable! Now it hurts because he failed but still he deserves props!! Also, this Melo thing is not over yet... We have some pieces that have value and the Knicks could get a 3rd team involved and get a draft pick. If not, there are other players that can help NY that are more accessible.

Nobody feels worse the Walsh...............Plus I am sure Isiah is in Dolan's ear see how foolish of a move that was....I am fearful that if we do not get Carmelo and he ends up a Net then Dolan will act like the spoiled bitch he is and freak!!!